Ginger's Secret Admirer
by autismmom31910
Summary: Someone is leaving flowers and notes for Ginger, but who could it be? This story is dedicated to and partly inspired by DiamondsandPearls51 for encouraging me to think outside the box. Mystery shipping. (Ginger/ ?)
1. Chapter 1

"That's the news from Hollywood, California. Tune in tomorrow to these participating stations as we bring you The Hollywood Hot Topic." The radio announcer had said. Ginger rose from her lounge chair as she switched off the radio. She decided it was high time she head back to her hut and help Mary Ann with the weekly sprucing up they did. She really wished her room mate would forget the work for one day... it was much too hot to be doing much of anything but going for a swim in that lagoon. She pondered the idea, and was tempted to make a detour that way. She hadn't brought her bathing suit though. Perhaps, just once she could... no, that was completely unthinkable! As temping as it was to parade around in her birthday suit, even for one afternoon, she was too much a lady to do so. Everyone pretty much had their privacy, but it still didn't change the fact that there were four men wandering around on the island, and at any given time one of them might make their way to the lagoon. She shrugged off the idea and headed for the hut she shared with Mary Ann.

As she walked, she held up her thick red hair with one hand and began to fan the back of her neck with the other. Ginger was rather delicate with the heat, never having liked it much. In that moment she rebuked herself for not borrowing a parasol from Mrs. Howell. It at least would have offered some shade. The heat not only made Ginger miserable... it made her restless as well. Her blood surged through her veins and her heart pounded as she thought about the last time a man held her tightly and pressed his lips against hers. Of course, Ginger wasn't loose... not by any means. She was a determined woman who knew what she wanted and when she wanted it. Everything was pretty much on her terms. She could, in fact, count on one hand the number of men she'd ever allowed to get past kissing. Definitely, nothing ever went past necking. As she got older, though, and the more time that past her by on this island, she realized that her desire to be loved, and the desire to love was getting stronger. The island, obviously, didn't hold many options for her.

First, there was Mr. Howell, automatically a strike because he was married... happily married and way too old for her. Then, there was the Skipper. He was strong, brave, and took no guff off of anyone. He was at least a decade older than her and she couldn't ever imagine him being the type to be partial to just one girl. He was a war veteran and probably had been used to Geishas and burlesque shows, not to mention the women who must have hung around the sea ports. Gilligan was like a man-child of sorts. Gilligan was well... Gilligan. Although he was a good friend and had a heart of gold, the thought of romance didn't appeal to him much, as if he were caught in some sort of pre-pubescent loop. Then there was the Professor. Good looking and kind, but clueless when it came to women. She had playfully flirted with all the men on the island, and the Professor was the only one who could keep working and studying, carrying on business as usual in her presence.

It seemed no man was right for her. The heat was rising and her emotions were a swirling torrent of loneliness and arousal. She detoured again, this time jumping into the ice cold waterfall, clothed and all. She stood there for a minute or so, mainly to allow her body to adjust to the temperature of the water. When she first jumped in, she squealed from the shock of the stinging cold water on her skin. After wringing the excess water out of her skirt, she then made her way back to her hut. In this heat, she knew her clothes would be dry before she ever reached her destination.

...

When Ginger reached her and Mary Ann's hut, she could see that her younger friend had her things spic and span and was starting to organize the other side of the room.

"Hey Mary Ann, sorry I'm late. I hope you didn't have to do too many of my things. I got... I got a little sidetracked after my radio program. It won't happen again." Mary Ann turned to Ginger and gave her a smile.

"Oh, that's alright. It's no bother. I know how much the heat and humidity trouble you, so i thought I would give you a break," she said, as she fluffed Ginger's pillow.

"Thanks," Ginger said sheepishly. As she turned her head, she noticed a beautiful bouquet of island wildflowers sitting in a vase.

"Gosh, the flowers are a nice touch," Ginger said, sniffing them, "when did you find time to pick these?"

"I didn't," Mary Ann said, "they were here when I came back from hanging laundry. They're for you. I didn't mean to nose, but there was a card attached and I thought maybe Mrs. Howell was putting Gilligan up to picking flowers for me again."

"For me?" Ginger said puzzled," Are you sure?"

"Absolutely, go read the card," Mary Ann instructed.

Ginger picked up the tiny card in her fingers. Indeed, there was her name written in uniform block-style lettering, as if not to give away the giver's hand writing. She flipped the card over to read what it said:

 **Beautiful flowers for the most beautiful woman on the island.**

Ginger was shocked. She looked at the card again front and back, looking for some sort of signature, but there was none.

"Who are they from?" Mary Ann asked eagerly.

"I... I don't know. There is no name," Ginger said, her heart thumping and a lump forming in her throat.

"Ginger, do you know what this means?" Mary Ann exclaimed with excitement. "You have a secret admirer!"

"Yeah, I guess I do," Ginger told her, her mind pondered the possibilities of who it might be.


	2. Chapter 2

As Mary Ann went out to take a walk, Ginger stayed behind in her hut, pondering over and over who had sent those flowers.

 _Who could it be? Who could it be?_ She thought as she paced back and forth. _I know it's not Mr. Howell... or it better not be Mr. Howell. No, he would never do something like that to Mrs. Howell. He is definitely out. The Skipper? Maybe... he does seem to find me attractive...but I can't see him picking flowers, nor can I see him being a secret admirer. If he wanted my attention, he would be upfront with me. The Professor... well, I have assisted him many times. We kissed in that movie, he pretended to be my boyfriend to keep Duke away from me... but other than that, he's enchanted by his books more than he is girls. Perhaps he's shy and the books are a cover up. No, I can't see him picking flowers either... they aren't practical. Besides, he wouldn't have written "beautiful flowers", he would have written the scientific term for the species of flower he picked._

Ginger ran a hand through her hair, and blew out her breath. There was only one left to consider... aside from Mr. Howell, he was the least likely candidate, but still an option as a suspect.

 _Gilligan? Could it possibly be Gilligan? After all, he is a man... a very timid and frightened man, but still a man. Maybe that's it! He likes me and is afraid to tell me... but, he's never called me beautiful and he always pulls away from my kisses. Oh, I just don't know! I'm so confused._

Ginger was more than confused... she was completely perplexed. It had occurred to her that one of three men was infatuated with her. They weren't just any men, but very dear friends. She didn't know how she felt about one of them having a crush on her. Once she found out who it was, would it be awkward? What if she had to hurt her secret admirer? What would happen if her secret admirer were successful in winning her affections? Did she secretly hope it was one man over the other? There were too many things to think about.

"I think I need to lie down," Ginger said to herself as she curled up in her bed for a nap.

...

As Mary Ann was walking along, she felt a tap on her shoulder. She was startled at first, until she saw who it was.

"Oh hello, you startled me!"

"Well... did she get the flowers?"

"Yes, she did,"

"Tell me... what did she think of them?"

"Oh, she was surprised all right... but the poor dear is driving herself crazy trying to figure out who sent them. Maybe this isn't such a good idea. In fact, I don't know why you involved me... I was afraid I was going to blow your cover."

"No... don't do that! Oh please, Mary Ann, please. Just give me a few more days. Trust me, I have an elaborate plan. I need to let her know how I feel before I reveal myself. Now, could you take this letter and slip it under her pillow when she's not looking?"

Mary Ann sighed, feeling torn being a part of this scheme. She knew the mystery of it all would drive Ginger crazy, yet... the secret admirer was a friend of hers as well. Who knew? It might very well bring some happiness to both parties.

...

While Ginger slept, she had dreamed of the three single men on the island. While dreaming of the Professor, they had been dancing under the moonlight. He had gazed into her eyes, leaning in to kiss her lips, fervently and passionately. In her dream about the Skipper, they were sailing on a yacht. Standing on the deck of the ship, he proposed a toast of champagne in her honor. Their arms linked as they drank from each other's glasses. When there eyes locked, he had leaned in, giving her several short, gentle kisses. When it came to her dream about Gilligan, they had been chasing each other through a field, playfully teasing each other, trying their best to grab one another. As Gilligan catches her, they tumble down a hill. Gilligan is nearly on top of her, as they stare at each other. Before either one knows what is happening, Gilligan leans down, gathering Ginger in his arms.. kissing her without fear.

When Ginger awoke, she realized that none of the dreams she had were particularly off putting. In fact, she thought the dreams she had were kind of nice. One of the dreams, in particular, had appealed to her. She smiled as she played it over in her mind.

...

As Mary Ann walked back to her hut... she wondered when and how she was going to get that letter hidden. Part of her was dying to know what it said. It was tempting to take a peek, but she also knew that Ginger would soon share the letter with her anyway.

 _I sure hope that whatever is in this letter will work on Ginger. It was one thing to give her flowers... but sharing his feelings for her had to take much courage. Her beauty is somewhat intimidating to all three of the single men. well, I wish him luck._

When Mary Ann arrived at their little hut, Ginger wasn't there. Mary Ann noticed a note on their dressing table with her name on it.

Went to go start dinner.

Ginger

Well, at least Ginger wasn't going to be back anytime soon. Mary Ann cautiously looked around to see if anyone would pass by their hut, possibly being able to see in their window. She slowly slipped the letter out of her shorts pocket and stuffed it under Ginger's pillow. More than likely, Ginger wouldn't find it until morning when she went to make her bed. She strolled out of the hut to join her friend in the dinner preparations.

...

The dinner atmosphere was casual and carefree as usual. Everyone engaged in conversation of the day's events. Gilligan and the Skipper were telling the others how they had traveled to the other side of the island and had come across a whole area filled with more coconut trees. Mr. and Mrs. Howell were discussing the latest stock market reports they had just heard on the radio. The Professor was explaining to Mary Ann and Ginger how geothermal energy worked. Ginger wasn't paying much attention. She was too busy studying the Professor's facial expressions...just as she was the expressions of Gilligan and the Skipper. She was looking to see if any of them would look at her in any way that might tip off the identity of her secret admirer. Nothing... absolutely nothing! Whoever was hiding his identity was hiding it well.

"Ginger dear, you're awful quiet this evening. Is everything all right?" Mrs. Howell had asked.

"Well... um..." Ginger had started. Ginger really didn't want to get into a conversation about her secret admirer.

"Ginger's got a secret admirer!" Mary Ann interrupted. "Someone left flowers for her this afternoon."

"Wow! That's really neat!" Gilligan exclaimed. 'Who is it?"

"Gilligan," the Skipper said rolling his eyes, "a secret admirer is just that... a secret. However, that is exciting news. I bet the fella is really head over heels... right professor?"

The question took the Professor off guard. His mouth hung agape, as he placed a hand on his chest. "Who me? No, I find the idea of sneaking around and being secretive utterly childish. Why not be honest and upfront with someone? No, I can assure you it's not me."

"Well, it's not me either," the Skipper said, folding his arms, "I never beat around the bush with the ladies."

"Gilligan, it must be you," Ginger said.

"Me? Yeech! I don't want to admire no one. All that kissing and hugging makes me uncomfortable," Gilligan said, just a bit squeamish.

"Well, if it's not the Professor, not the Skipper, not Gilligan, that only leaves... THURSTON! How could you?" Mrs. Howell said, slapping at her husband.

"Lovey pleeeze! Believe me! It's not me! It's not me... oh have mercy on me dearest!" Mr. Howell begged, cowering from his wife.

"Gee, you guys make a girl feel really special," Ginger said sarcastically, "talking like being my secret admirer is the worst thing in the world. I don't believe you men!" Ginger got up from the table in tears and ran back to her hut. Without anyone noticing, Mary Ann shot an evil glance at the real secret admirer, shaking her head in disapproval.


	3. Chapter 3

Mary Ann rubbed Ginger's back as she lay across her bed crying. She was now more confused than ever. All three of the men denied being her secret admirer, but it had to be one of them.

"Come on Ginger," Mary Ann said, trying to encourage her friend, "chin up, huh. They're certainly not worth crying over."

"Oh Mary Ann, you don't understand. I was so flattered at the thought of having a secret admirer, then they all act as if they would rather be dead than to do something so romantic."

"You... you think it's romantic?"

"Why yes... how thrilling for someone to care so much about you that they have to do it in secret for fear of possible heartache. Besides, I know it's one of three wonderful guys instead of some creep... unless someone is playing a trick on me, then he's some real creep." Ginger exclaimed before bursting into tears again.

"No he's not," Mary Ann blurted. She mentally wanted to kick herself Ginger's head shot up as she looked at Mary Ann in surprise.

"What do you know about it?"

Mary Ann's palms sweated. She had to come up with something, and come up with something fast. "Well, it's like you said... three wonderful guys. Besides, they are all your friends. I don't think any of them would hurt you on purpose."

"I suppose you're right, " Ginger replied, dabbing at her spoiled make-up with a tissue, "those fellas have never been anything but nice to me. I'm sorry for being so over sensitive."

"It's alright," Mary Ann said, hugging her friend, "I'm sure the wondering must be stressful. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going out for some air. I'll be back in a jif. Are you sure you're ok?" Ginger nodded her head as Mary Ann made her way to the door.

...

Once outside, Mary Ann spied the secret admirer. She was able to pull him aside discreetly to speak her mind.

"Well, Ginger was pretty upset. Thank Heavens she calmed down. She thinks someone is pulling a trick on her."

"I certainly didn't want her to get that impression. I feel terrible."

"Then tell her how you feel."

"I'm just not ready to tell her yet."

"Well, you almost gave yourself away with that abrupt answer."

"I panicked! I didn't want to tell her in front of the others. I want to tell her in private... I'm still working on it. By the way, it wasn't only me who almost gave myself away. What about him?" The secret admirer said, pointing to one of the other male castaways. "He accused me of..." then he was cut off.

"I know, I know," Mary Ann said, "Just don't carry this charade on much longer, please. I don't think you have much to worry about. I've got a feeling that Ginger is open to anyone of you being her secret admirer. She said she thinks it's romantic."

"Well, I've been called many things, but I don't think romantic has ever been one of them."

...

Ginger began to straighten up her bed a bit. She had made a real mess of it, as she clutched her sheets and cried into them. She went to fluff her pillow, when a small piece of paper floated to the floor. She bent down to pick it up. On the front was her name, written in the same uniform block-style lettering that had been on the card that came with the flowers. Her heartbeat quickened. She was anxious to see what this letter said, yet afraid at the same time. Slowly, she opened the folds of the letter. She smoothed the crinkles out with her fingers. The letter wobbled back and forth in her shaky fingers as she read:

Dearest Ginger

If you could only know how I feel. If you could only see inside my heart. You would surely know that you turned my head the moment I saw you. Those sparkling emerald eyes, your cooper colored hair that glistens in the sunlight, and those lovely red lips that surely taste like wine. However, you are more than beautiful. You are a kind and caring person, a talented actress, and above all a terrific friend to us all. Your sweetness and gentleness is as inviting as a gentle ocean breeze. Once I pluck up the courage, you shall know who I am. I only hope you'll just give me a chance.

Very affectionately,

Your Secret Admirer

Ginger read the letter two or three more times, relishing every word. Ginger tried to dissect the letter, looking for clues. She immediately noticed that her "Secret Admirer" had compared her to an ocean breeze. Only Gilligan or the Skipper would appreciate such a comparison to consider it a compliment. Yet... the flow of the letter, the descriptiveness, and carefully laid out words and perfect grammar seemed more like the Professor. She was back to square one. She was getting to the point to where she didn't care who it was... she just wanted to know. The words of that letter had touched her heart, and her guard had been compromised. If she were honest with herself, she secretly liked all three of them. She never pursued them because she felt perhaps it wouldn't be proper to pursue one, but secretly still like the others.

In the Professor was the fountain of wisdom. Not only that, he was mighty fine looking. Gorgeous blue eyes, rugged jaw, chiseled chest. He was helpful and kind, and a pretty good kisser.

The Skipper wasn't too bad looking either. Sure, he was a little thick around the middle and graying, but his eyes twinkled when he smiled. Speaking of which, Ginger had never seen such an attractive smile. He was a fine dance partner, and his laughter always lifted her spirits.

There was no one sweeter than Gilligan. He was loyal and kind, and very brave when push came to shove. Ginger had to admit that when Gilligan would smile, he was quite handsome himself indeed. His hair was so soft, so wispy. Sometimes, when taunting him to obtain what she wanted, she would whip off his sailor's hat and run her fingers through his hair for no good reason at all.

If Ginger really thought about it, she was quite lucky to be admired by one of them. Perhaps, soon, her secret admirer would reveal himself and life could get back to normal... or at least she hoped it would.


	4. Chapter 4

It had been three days since Ginger had received her first note. In the time that had passed, she had received another bouquet of flowers, a single pearl, and three more letters. Each time Ginger had tried to figure out who the secret admirer was, she found herself being thrown off the trail. Her mystery man was getting more and more mysterious. Ginger had been sharing her letters with Mary Ann, seeing if she could help her figure out who was loving her from afar.

"See, Mary Ann, listen to this one," Ginger said, as she read aloud, " Dear Ginger, I think you are one swell girl. That is I think you're pretty. Well, you are more than pretty. You're nice too. Signed, Your Secret Admirer. That sounds like Gilligan, don't you think?"

"Yeah, it kind of does," Mary Ann, said playing along. Mary Ann wished more than anything the secret admirer would reveal himself before she drove herself mad. She wanted to tell Ginger so bad she had to practically bite her tongue off.

"Well, this is the one I received yesterday: My dearest Ginger, your are more radiant than radioactive neon. Your female specimen causes my aortic valve to work harder, as the blood pumps faster through my veins. Testosterone is elevated and my frontal lobes are pleased just by being near you. Sincerely, your unknown admirer."

"Gee, let me guess who you think that one is from," Mary Ann said, giggling.

"I know, right?" Ginger said, "now, listen to the one I received today: Sweet Ginger, you are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. I'd travel the world to find a girl like you. My heart is anchored on the image of your smiling face. Roaming adrift is no longer appealing to me Without your companionship, I'm lost without hope of being found. With fondest admiration, your Secret Admirer." Ginger laid the letter down. "Someone is very clever, Mary Ann. Whoever it is wants me to keep thinking it could be anyone of them. I'm...I'm starting to fall for him, whoever he is. I think I'm going to go crazy. Just when I picture myself with one of them, I start to picture myself with one of the other two. Mary Ann, this is starting to get very irritating. I have to know! I have to know!" Ginger began to pace around the hut.

"Just give him time," Mary Ann advised, "he has to slip up eventually... whoever he is. No one can be that crafty."

"Well, I hope so," Ginger stated, "I'm delighted and miserable, all at the same time."

...

Mary Ann stepped outside. She was going to have another meeting with the secret admirer. She was fed up with this secret and she was going to let him know, in no uncertain terms, that she was done being his delivery girl. She spotted him down by the lagoon. Luckily, he was by himself. It looked like he was doing something important, but her words couldn't wait.

"Hey, have you got a minute?"

"Sure," he said, stopping his work, "what's on your mind."

"You have got to stop this secret admirer nonsense. Ginger is so confused. Why, she's not sleeping well either. She keeps wondering who the secret admirer is and she keeps on wondering if she's going to hurt someone's feelings or if she's going to end up falling in love or hating all three men. She's falling for you, but she doesn't know it's "You" of course. Please end this before she gets hurt," Mary Ann looked at him with pleading eyes. The secret admirer couldn't believe his ears. His words, his little tokens of affection were working like a charm. There was one finally phase that needed to be done before Ginger could know who he was.

"Alright, I'll end it tomorrow. Promise me that you'll deliver one more letter."

"Well, alright, only if you promise that this is the end of it."

"I promise, but I need you to help me with my plan. Ok? I promise it won't be anything difficult."

"What are you proposing?"

"I need you to bring Ginger to that fallen tree in the middle of the jungle, but bring her blindfolded."

"BLINDFOLDED!"

"Don't worry. Please trust me. You'll have to speak on my behalf too. Meet me at two o'clock near the grove of coconut trees. We'll go over signals and I'll have a speech I want you to read. I'll have the final letter too."

"What are you up to?"

"Just an experiment. I need to convince her there can be chemistry between us before she finds out who her secret admirer is."

Mary Ann sighed, "Ok, if you say so. I really think you should just be yourself. You're a fine person just the way you are. However, I'll help you out just this one last time."

"Thank you. Your cooperation is very much appreciated.

...

Ginger looked over the letters that had been sent to her everyday for the last four days. That first letter... how sweet it had been. "You turned my head the moment I saw you". The words played in her head like a song. She looked over the other three letters, each so very different. Apparently, someone was copying the other two men's writing style. She smiled at the sweet simple letter that would have obviously been from Gilligan. It wouldn't have been hard to copy his writing style. The Professor's note, or so Ginger thought, was barely understandable to someone who was not cultured in science and anatomy. His writing style would have been more difficult to copy... but not impossible. Everyone had heard the Professor speak so much, that even perhaps Gilligan could throw some big words together for one letter. However, the big words were not just thrown together... they made sense. The Skipper had more book knowledge than Gilligan, but she wasn't sure if even he could always keep up with what the Professor had to say. The Professor had the intelligence to copy all three personalities. For being very quiet and not quite as sociable as the others, he was very observant about one's character. Though, it wasn't like the Professor to pretend to be something he wasn't. That left the note from today. It wasn't as simple as the first one, but the references to the sea would have to be something that Gilligan or the Skipper would write. It was very sweet and very intimate. She read over it once more, relishing it's words. "I'd travel the world to find a girl like you." ; "My heart is anchored on the image of your smiling face."; "I'm lost without hope of being found." Ginger closed her eyes and kissed the letter, then held it to her chest. A single tear fell from her eye, as she began to narrow down the possibilities.


	5. Chapter 5

At two o'clock sharp, Mary Ann had met the secret admirer near the coconut grove. She saw him pacing anxiously, then smiling when he caught sight of her. They both moved forward, meeting each other about half way. He handed Mary Ann the speech and the final letter, then spent about a half hour going over signals that he would give her, in order to help him silently speak to Ginger. Mary Ann paid close attention, wondering how her friend was going to respond to all of this.

As they parted ways, Mary Ann was trying to figure out the best way to get that letter to Ginger without her seeing. What did it matter now, though? Once Ginger read the letter, she would know that Mary Ann had played a part in the scheme. So that is exactly what she decided to do. She had to be strong. No matter how much Ginger pressured her, she had to stay silent until the secret admirer was ready to be revealed. She had promised him.

She walked into their hut. Luckily, Ginger was there. She took a deep breath. It was now or never. Every nerve in her body shook, as she worked up the courage to deliver that last letter.

"Um Ginger, can we talk?" Mary Ann said nervously.

Ginger brought down the old tabloid sheet, one she had packed with her when she boarded the three hour tour. "Why sure."

Mary Ann slipped the letter out of her pocket, her eyes adverted away from Ginger, "Here... this is the last letter. He promises."

Ginger's eyes went wide. She couldn't believe her ears. All this time her best friend knew who her secret admirer was while she was driving herself crazy.

"Mary Ann Summers! How could you? I've been going insane trying to figure out who my secret admirer is!" She said with a scowl.

"I'm sorry, but I promised I would keep his secret until he was ready. He's my friend too, you know," Mary Ann retorted.

"Well, I guess I understand," Ginger said, some of her anger dissipating, "but you have to understand how nuts I've been."

"I do understand. I've been begging him to come clean... and he is finally going to. Go on and read your letter," Mary Ann said, looking at Ginger with wondering.

Ginger opened the letter and began to read the words aloud, slowly, taking in everything it said:

Dear Ginger,

This is my final letter. It is time I revealed myself to you. To be honest, I'm terrified, yet excited. Not being sure of how you'll react has me flustered, restless, sleepless. Meet me tomorrow at 11 am, near the fallen tree in the clearing. I am requesting you come blindfolded. Mary Ann has agreed to lead you there. I know this is a strange request, but please trust me. I've heard that love is blind, and I want to see if that is really so. Mary Ann will recite what's deep in my heart, so you can judge your feelings for me on that, instead of what you see on the surface.

Very fondly and affectionately,

Your Secret Admirer

Ginger folded up the letter and looked at Mary Ann, "the poor man. He's as much of a wreck as I am."

"That's why I'm helping him. No more pressure to spill the beans? Are we agreed?" Mary Ann said, sticking out her hand.

"Agreed," Ginger said, accepting the handshake.

...

The next morning, Ginger was up early. She just couldn't sleep. She had spent the night dreaming about her secret admirer. She had first dreamed of who she thought the secret admirer probably was. Then she dreamed about who she hoped the secret admirer would be. Her choice and expectation had surprised her. After all, she always thought he wasn't her type, but feelings were funny that way. She got up, busying herself with making her bed, getting dressed, and heading out to prepare for breakfast. They still had some instant pancake mix that was salvaged from the Minnow's galley, provided no vermin had burrowed into it. She headed to the supply hut, tiptoed in without waking the Professor, and headed back out with what she came for. Breakfast was more than an hour away, so she headed out to pick fruit for juice and pancake topping. While walking, her mind was cluttered with meeting her secret admirer later that morning. Who would it be? What would he say? What would he do? She wasn't paying much attention to where she was going. Ginger wasn't the only one up, for Gilligan was getting an early start on the fishing.

"Good morning, Ginger," Gilligan said cheerfully. Ginger seemed to be in a trance, as she walked right past him.

"Good morning, Skipper," she mumbled, as she kept on going.

"Good morning Skipper?" Gilligan said, as he scratched his head in confusion.

...

Eleven o'clock had finally come, and Ginger and Mary Ann were making their way to the fallen tree. Ginger felt awkward, as she hobbled around blindfolded, depending on Mary Ann for her every movement to be a sure and steady one.

"Easy now, watch your step,' Mary Ann instructed, "we're almost there."

"Boy, I sure am nervous," Ginger replied, haphazardly talking out in any direction, not quite sure of Mary Ann's exact location.

"Here we are," Mary Ann said cheerfully, as she assisted Ginger in sitting on the log. Although she couldn't see a thing, she could sense the presence of another near her.

"Secret Admirer, is that you?" She asked.

Mary Ann replied, "He's right beside you. He wants to know if he can hold your hand."

"Of course you can," Ginger replied. Suddenly, she felt warm, masculine hands encircling around her slender fingers. His thumbs began to massage the back of her hands. A little thrill filled Ginger's heart. This was it. Soon, she'd be able to take off that blindfold and see who's kind gestures she'd been the reciprocate of. she curled her fingers, clasping his hands in return. The secret admirer was pleased, as a smile crossed his face. He then looked over to Mary Ann for her first signal. Since both of his hands were occupied, he slowly and deliberately mouthed the word "paper". Mary Ann nodded in acknowledgement, as she pulled the speech out of her pocket. She then began to read aloud.

"My dearest Ginger. I know none of this makes sense to you, but I'm hoping soon it will. First of all, I want to apologize for causing you any undo stress. It certainly wasn't my intention. You see, it's hard for me to speak to you. It's never really been easy for me to talk to women, but you it was especially hard. I could just never imagine someone like you could ever like someone like me. I know I'm not the type of man you're used to, but maybe you can like a different type this time. This was not a game, this was not a practical joke. It was my sincerest attempt for you to see another side of me. There is more to me than one might think. I hope you'll give me the chance to show that other side of myself. With deepest devotion, you secret admirer." Mary Ann folded the letter and wiped away the tears that had formed in her eyes.

"That was beautiful," Ginger said, "I promise, whoever you are, I'll at least give you a chance. Truth is, there is a little bit of something I like about all of you guys. Whoever you are, it has to be a win-win-win." The secret admirer's smile got even wider. He didn't know though, that in the back of Ginger's mind, she was thinking of someone in particular. The secret admirer touched his face, signaling again to Mary Ann.

"The secret admirer wants to touch your face. Is that alright, Ginger?" Mary Ann asked.

"Sure, that's all right with me," Ginger said, taking a deep breath, bracing herself for the sudden touch. She sighed, as the secret admirer ran a finger down the bridge of her nose. He stroked his thumbs along her cheek bones. She nearly couldn't breathe as she felt fingertips tracing her lips. Then, he place the palm of his hand along her cheek and gently caressed it. A smile spread across Ginger's lips. She wasn't quite sure what would come next, but she knew what she wanted to come next.

The secret admirer puckered his lips in Mary Ann's direction. She nodded and then spoke to Ginger, "He wants to kiss you. May he kiss you?"

Ginger's heart was pounding a mile a minute. She didn't answer at first, and the secret admirer looked concerned. Then, he suddenly heard her speak, "Yes."

The secret admirer cupped her chin, tilting her head upwards. He leaned in and kissed her softly, not wanting to come on too strong. Ginger happily received his kiss. A shiver went down her spine.

 _Oh God!_ She thought, as he led into another supple, yet gentle kiss. He pulled away, though not really wanting to. Her kiss was more than he ever could have imagined. It was a real kiss, spawn out of real affection. This time, it hadn't been a act of light hearted flirtation.

Ginger could hardly catch her breath. When she finally found her voice, she spoke. "Please, please, let me take my blindfold off!" She begged. "I want to see you."

The secret admirer nodded to Mary Ann, signaling that it was time.

"He says it's alright," Mary Ann said.

Ginger scrambled to try and rip off the blindfold. The secret admirer reached behind to help her with the complicated knot. As the blindfold gave way, Ginger found herself staring into a pair of blue eyes.


	6. Chapter 6

"Skipper!" Ginger shouted as she brought her hands to her face. "Oh! I knew it was you! I just knew it!"

"You... you mean you've known all along?" The Skipper asked. "Are you disappointed?"

"Oh Skipper, " Ginger said, taking his hand, "I said I would be fine with whoever it was... but after that last letter, not counting the one Mary Ann gave me yesterday afternoon, I... well I kind of hoped it was you. The words, they just seemed like words you would use. I have to admit, I thought it was the Professor at first, just because of how he reacted at dinner when you accused him of being my admirer... now I see you were trying to get the focus off of yourself."

"You.. you were hoping it was me?" The Skipper asked in disbelief.

"Well, I'll be honest, at first I kind of hoped it was Gilligan. You know, he's so sweet and shy. I found it all flattering," Ginger said, but then got back on topic as she saw the Skipper's face fall, "well, then like I said, I got that last letter where you said you'd "travel the world to find a woman like me," and that "your heart is anchored on the image of my smiling face." It did something to me. I compared that letter with the first letter, then I realized the flowers you sent. The card said, "to the most beautiful woman on the island". The only person I could imagine saying that to me was the person who said it to me in the first place... when you nominated me for Miss Castaway."

"Oh Ginger, I do think you are the most beautiful woman on the island, but I do want you to know that I think of you more than that," the Skipper said.

"I know," Ginger said, "I should have seen it before. You've always looked at me with admiration, but I've always turned a blind eye to it. Like you said, a man like you is not usually my type... but maybe I don't even know what my type is. You're a bit older than me, and I've always assumed you were nothing but a skirt chaser just because you're a sailor. That was wrong of me, and I'm sorry."

"Well, you're right, I was a skirt chaser," the Skipper said, blushing.

"What about that part about having trouble talking to women?" Ginger asked a bit puzzled.

"Ginger, I was a man in uniform. All most women saw was a free dinner and someone to spend a long lonely evening with... that didn't require much talking," the Skipper said blushing. Ginger blushed as well. Seeing him smile, she was sure some of those women had to see more than just a man in uniform.

"Are you two, going to sit there yakking? How come you're not getting to know one another... I mean really know one another past a casual friendship," Mary Ann barked at them. The two of them smiled, as the Skipper brought his hand up to Ginger's cheek once again. That's when he noticed the glitter.

"My ring!" He said, as he gazed at the two hundred some year old ring that his pop had passed down to him, "you felt the metal of my ring on your face. That's how you guessed it was me. Am I right?"

"You are right," Ginger said, "you know, you're a clever fellow, having Mary Ann play double agent, throw me off the trail by copying everyone's personality style. That blindfolding trick, that really takes the cake. That was um... well," Ginger began to blush again. The Skipper let out a roar of laughter at Ginger's shyness. Once the laughter died down, the Skipper looked her in the eyes.

"Ginger," he said, "would you, well, would you want to take a moonlit walk with me after dinner? I can tell you all about the real me. Perhaps you can tell me all about Ginger Grant, the woman, and not just the actress."

"Skipper, I would love to," Ginger replied, "just one more thing though."

"What's that?" He replied.

"Kiss me," she whispered. He wrapped his arms around her waist, and that is exactly what he did.

 *****Well, what did you all think? This story was a test of sorts... to get my feet wet. I'm thinking about writing another Skipper/Ginger, and not sure what kind of response I would get. My other stories... all MAGs, are sprinkled with Pinger, but just once I wanted Skipper to have his chance with the fair Ginger Grant. Also, there are those of the opinion that Skipper's feelings for Ginger were superficial. I've not analyzed episodes to confirm that, so I did a "what if", if you will... a story where the Skipper is truly in love with Ginger. Anyway, I would love any comments, please, whether you loved it, hated it, should I do another? Just let me know.*****

 **Autismmom 31910**


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